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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26584264">Cold Spaghetti</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakingOverMidnight3482/pseuds/TakingOverMidnight3482'>TakingOverMidnight3482</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Julie and the Phantoms One-Shots: Ghostly Mishaps [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coming Out, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Pre-Canon, anyway for some reason I really like the idea of Alex coming out to Reggie first</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:35:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,644</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26584264</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakingOverMidnight3482/pseuds/TakingOverMidnight3482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He sank into his chair at the dining room table (his parents would literally kill him if they caught him eating in the living room or spilling sauce on the carpet) and had just stabbed his fork into the day old noodles when the doorbell rang.</p><p>“If it’s a serial killer I’m gonna haunt the shit out of them,” Reggie muttered, pushing his chair back and giving his dinner a sad glance as he jogged to the door.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex &amp; Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Julie and the Phantoms One-Shots: Ghostly Mishaps [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1925116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1234</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cold Spaghetti</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You know how there's that saying of quitting something "Cold turkey?" Yeah, cold spaghetti. </p><p>The guys are 15/16 in this.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Leftovers was spaghetti again.</p><p>Reggie had nothing against spaghetti – it was one of the only things he could really cook by himself, and honestly one of the only things they ever had in the house anyway. His parents had been neglecting the grocery shopping a lot recently. And his mother had never had the patience to teach him how to cook, no matter how much Reggie would wander into the kitchen to try and see if she would.</p><p>But damn, sometimes pasta and sauce got old.</p><p>On the plus side, his parents weren’t home, so the house was, for once, blissfully quiet. His father was out, claiming he was running late at work, but Reggie (and his mom) knew he was at a bar. His mother was at a book club with her friends that Reggie knew was just a thinly veiled excuse to vent and drink.</p><p>The microwave beeped at him and he sighed, pulling out the piping plate and dumping about a pound of parmesan cheese on top. He had that and a buttered slice of white bread that he’d managed to salvage from the slightly moldy loaf, but it was better than he sometimes ate at home.</p><p>He sank into his chair at the dining room table (his parents would literally kill him if they caught him eating in the living room or spilling sauce on the carpet) and had just stabbed his fork into the day old noodles when the doorbell rang.</p><p>A quick glance at the clock – it was nearing 9 pm. Reggie frowned. His father wouldn’t be back this soon, and his mother wouldn’t ring the bell. Luke was on vacation with his parents, and Bobby was on a date. Reggie couldn’t imagine Alex would be here this late – his parents were pretty strict.</p><p>“If it’s a serial killer, I’m gonna haunt the shit out of them,” Reggie muttered, pushing his chair back and giving his dinner a sad glance as he jogged to the door.</p><p>Peeking out the tiny window, he found Alex standing on his porch, staring back at the street. Reggie grinned, serial killer avoided, and unlocked the door, swinging it wide. “Alex! Dude, hey, it’s late, what’s-?”</p><p>Alex turned around to face him and Reggie snapped his mouth shut, smile falling. There were tears streaming down his face, his eyes were red, and, now that Reggie was looking, there was a bag slung over his shoulder. As he was illuminated by the porch light, Reggie could see the faintest outline of a hand mark on his cheek.</p><p>Alex’s parents had never, ever hit him.</p><p>Reggie was at a loss until Alex started stammering. “I-I didn’t have anywhere to g-go, I’m s-sorry. I k-know it’s late, and I k-know your parents aren’t the b-best, b-but I-”</p><p>“Hey,” Reggie said, quick. He reached out, gently gripping Alex’s elbow and easing him through the door. “Hey, it’s cool, dude. They’re not home. Hey, c’mere.”</p><p>He dragged Alex into a tight hug, flinching as the boy clung to him like he was the only thing keeping him standing. His grip was hard in Reggie’s jacket, and his body was trembling.</p><p>What the fuck had happened?</p><p>Well aware that his neighbors had never been able to mind their own business, Reggie shut the door and guided Alex into the living room. He took the duffle bag from his hands and set it on the floor, sitting Alex on the couch and then kneeling on the floor in front of him, hands on his legs. “What happened?” he whispered, squeezing Alex’s knees.</p><p>Alex flinched, the heels of his hands pressed to his eyes. “Um. They told me they never wanted to see me again,” he choked out. His fingers were shaking.</p><p>Reggie paused, calculating. “Is…is it because of the band? I thought they were supportive of that,” he said, crinkling his eyebrows together.</p><p>Alex’s huff was humorless and he dropped his hands into his lap inches from Reggie’s. He stared down at them for a long moment, and Reggie resisted the urge to reach out and hold them. He wasn’t sure that would be welcome at the moment. “It’s not because of the band,” he murmured. His voice was hoarse. “I…”</p><p>He looked up at Reggie, searching him, and Reggie felt like he was trying to figure him out. “Whatever it is, dude,” he murmured, finally going through with the urge and reaching up to hold Alex’s hands. Alex winced but didn’t pull back. “I’m here for you, man.”</p><p>Reggie hadn’t been in their friend group long. He’d only moved to LA in fourth grade, long after Alex and Luke had been friends. They’d befriended him first, sat with him at lunch while he was scribbling down a bass piece for music class, and they’d been fast friends. Bobby had come later, last year in 9<sup>th</sup> grade when they were all 14, but Reggie knew that Luke and Alex were still the closest in the group. It didn’t bother him – how could you compete with a childhood friendship?</p><p>But the way that Alex was looking at him, like he was panicking, like he was going to bolt, made Reggie think that maybe he’d done something to make Alex think he wouldn’t be there for him in a time of need. “Alex,” he said, gentle. He squeezed his hands again, curling his fingers around them. “You’re my family. I’m here, okay?”</p><p>“I’m gay,” Alex breathed.</p><p>Reggie’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Oh thank god. I thought you were going to say you were dying or some shit.”</p><p>Alex’s hands started trembling as he looked Reggie over. “You’re not-?”</p><p>Reggie squeezed again. “No. And dude, I’m <em>so </em>sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell me that. And man, I’m even sorrier that your parents are being asses about it. Is there anything I can do? You need to crash here? My parents probably won’t even notice an extra kid,” he chuckled.</p><p>Alex was still staring at him, his lips parted. Reggie huffed and stood, using his grip on Alex’s hands to pull him with him. “Come on,” he said, spreading his arms again.</p><p>There was only a second of hesitation before Alex collapsed against him, nose buried in Reggie’s shoulder. Reggie let him cling and tugged him as close as he could. He was shaking now.</p><p>“You need me to call anyone?” Reggie asked after a long minute of holding onto Alex and swallowing his rage at his parents. “Relatives? Luke?”</p><p>Alex shook his head, still not letting him go. “You’re the only one I’ve told aside from my parents,” he choked into Reggie’s jacket, and <em>damn</em> if that didn’t do something to Reggie’s heart. He tightened his grip.</p><p>“Me?” he whispered.</p><p>Alex chuckled, a little dry, not entirely devoid of humor. He still didn’t let go. “Yeah. I-I mean don’t get me wrong, I was t-terrified to even come here. But you seemed like…like you’d be okay with it the most.”</p><p>Reggie slid a hand up to cup the back of Alex’s neck, smoothing his thumb over the tension under his skin. “Thank you,” he said softly. “For trusting me. Even if it…wasn’t under the best conditions.”</p><p>Alex’s laugh was a little more watery. “Yeah, well…this wasn’t really how I wanted you to find out. I was…I was hoping my parents would be okay.”</p><p>He pulled away, finally, and sat back down on the couch. Reggie turned and sat next to him, holding out a hand. Alex stared at it for a moment before looking up at Reggie with a slack face. His eyes were wide, pink, cheeks bloodshot and swollen. Reggie wiggled his fingers tauntingly, giving Alex an easy smile, and Alex took his hand, swallowing when Reggie locked their fingers together and leaned back against the sofa. “What made you decide to tell them?” he asked, looking up at the ceiling.</p><p>Alex seemed to unwind, and he leaned back as well, pressing his shoulder tight with Reggie’s. “I didn’t,” he murmured. Reggie circled his thumb over Alex’s knuckles. “Um. My dad found a magazine.”</p><p>Reggie let a tiny smirk grace his cheeks and Alex knocked his boot into Reggie’s ankle. “Shut up,” he grumbled, and Reggie knew if he looked over, Alex would be blushing. “Anyway, I just…I was tired of lying. So I just…”</p><p>Alex shrugged and then gestured at his duffle bag. “I expected a bad reaction but not…that,” he whispered.</p><p>Reggie hooked his ankle over Alex’s and leaned against him. “Well you can stay here as long as you need. Or until you get sick of my parents fighting. Or me,” he snorted.</p><p>“You’re okay with that?” Alex asked, sounding nervous still, and Reggie would be damned if one of his best friends felt like he was uncomfortable with him for anything he couldn’t control.</p><p>Reggie twisted on the couch, holding up their linked hands. “I love you,” Reggie said as firmly as he could, watching the way Alex’s breath hitched. “All of you, dude. I don’t care if you like guys, girls, both, neither, whatever. I’m still gonna tease you about your crushes, and I’m never going to let you live down the way you look at Luke when he’s changing-”</p><p>Alex erupted in splutters, going pink in the cheeks, and Reggie just grinned, lifting their hands higher and settling his lips on Alex’s fingers. Alex froze. “You’re one of my best friends, dude. I’d be an asshole if I didn’t love you just for this.”</p><p>The hug Alex locked him in was awkward if only because of how they were sitting, but Reggie let it happen, ignored the tiny shudder that rocked Alex’s body as he finally breathed for what felt like the first time all night.</p><p>“Now…you want some cold spaghetti?”</p><p>“Oh my god, <em>again?</em>”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And then 27-ish years later, Reggie came out as bi, the end.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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